Mobile devices are becoming increasingly lightweight and compact. Contemporaneously, user demand for applications that are more complex, provide persistent connectivity, and/or are more feature-rich is in conflict with the desire to provide inexpensive, lightweight, and compact devices that also provide a tolerable level of battery life before requiring recharging. Thus, demands to increase functionality while reducing power consumption of such devices has created the need for increasingly more compact and feature rich sensor systems.
For example, conventional host systems such as mobile devices may use multiple motion sensors (e.g., micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor element such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, etc.) of a sensor system, which are specifically designed and/or configured for different, specific applications. For instance, one specific application might require a specific output data rate (ODR) and/or filtering requirement, while another application on the mobile device might require a different ODR and/or filtering requirement. It can be understood that other output data requirements can vary between different, specific applications, as further described herein.
As a further example, one motion sensor of a mobile device may be used by a user interface (UI) to determine, for example, the orientation of the device, while another motion sensor of the mobile device may be used for optical image stabilization (OIS). While taking a picture, the sensor system simultaneously supports both applications by providing the type and character of output data that is suitable for each application (e.g., UI and OIS) by dedicating respective motion sensor output data streams. For instance, the UI output may require a lower data rate and/or more aggressive filtering, while the OIS output may need a shorter latency and a different full-scale range. These conflicting requirements are conventionally addressed using separate signal paths that increases the cost of the sensor system.
Accordingly, conventional host systems employing sensor systems that have two or more different sensor output data requirements (e.g., OIS data requirements, UI data requirements, etc.) may employ two or more unique sensor systems (e.g., a sensor element, an amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), digital filters, etc. to support OIS requirements, and another sensor element, an amplifier, ADC, digital filter, etc. to support UI requirements, etc.). It can be understood that employing unique sensor systems for each output data requirement is both costly and space intensive in terms of application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) die area. Other host systems employing sensor systems that have two or more different sensor output data requirements may employ one MEMS sensor element (e.g., an accelerometer, a gyroscope, etc.), but may replicate a signal processing chain (e.g., separate amplifier, separate ADC, separate digital filters, etc.) to meet each output data requirement. It can be understood that employing unique sensor systems and replicating the signal processing chain for each output data requirement is costly and/or space intensive in terms of integrated circuit (IC) or ASIC die area.
It is thus desired to provide sensors systems that improve upon these and other deficiencies. The above-described deficiencies are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems of conventional implementations, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with conventional implementations and techniques, and corresponding benefits of the various aspects described herein, may become further apparent upon review of the following description.